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Brandon Melendez

TRAINING: Train in the morning with Jeremy Horn from 10am-1pm. Nap, go run, and then go back to the gym from 6pm to 9pm.

When and why did you start training for fighting? I grew up fighting a lot, and when I got out of high school I worked out a lot. A guy who was doing jiu-jitsu was like, ‘hey man, you look pretty tough, you should come train.’ I trained two days with him and loved it. I kept wanting to learn more and more jiu-jitsu. Two days later there was a 16 man tournament. I fought every week for five weeks in a row and I kept knocking guys out. I made it to the championship without any experience and then I got rear naked choked. I’ve been going ever since.

What ranks and titles have you held? Utah title at 205, 185, and 170. SportFight welterweight champion.

Do you have any heroes? I admire Jeremy Horn.

What is your favorite technique? I’ve been working really hard on getting the gogoplata.

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It means everything and makes everything worth it. Guys dream about fighting here, and here I am. It’s like a dream come true.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? No

What was your job before you started fighting? A finish carpenter / general contractor

Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).